Chronology
CAUTION. SPOILERS. This is an evolving timeline and assumes the reader is fully acquainted with the Wapsi Square comic storyline to date. Readers who have not read the complete series are strongly advised against consulting this page, as due to its nature, no spoiler will be withheld. 'Sources and methods' This timeline of the events on the world of Wapsi Square is compiled from three sources: 1) The Wapsi Square comic itself, presented in normal typeface. 2) Events from real world history,' presented in boldface'. 3) Events from real world myth and legend, and their approximate dates,'' presented in italics''. While the comic is authoritative in the events that happen in the world in which it takes place, not all characters are equally reliable or informed when describing events in the past. Events without specific dates are marked with bullet points in their presumed chronological order. 'Syncopation with the real world' Another issue is the pacing of the comic, which may not reflect the passing of time on a day-to-day equivalency with the real world from its beginning in 2001 to the present (2011). Thus, dates for the characters in the 1990s and later are estimated, based on best presented evidence. Along these lines, the passage of seasons are noted with the date of the comic--not the storyline--in {fancy brackets}. The coming and going of Minnesota winters are a recurring joke in Wapsi Square, but match their passage in the real world without taking into account how this would affect the story arc if taken literally. Chronology 'BC' 200,000-50,000 Approximate dates for the appearance of Homo sapiens sapiens *Demons arrive from the Demon World, itself a "timeless" place, in order to infest early humans. 40,000-30,000 Writing develops in this period to a degree of sophistication that draws the attention of the Library, a sentient dimension separate from Earth that collects all written material. Any one of the following may have been the catalyst for depositing works by humans into the Library: Numerical tallies date as early as 40,000 BC Wall paintings begin between 40,000-32,000 BC Neolithic trade tokens evolve into cuneiform by the 31st Century BC "Scholars make a reasonable distinction between prehistory and history of early writing, but have disagreed concerning when prehistory becomes history and when proto-writing became 'true writing'. The definition is largely subjective. Writing, in its most general terms, is a method of recording information and is composed of glyphs." --Wikipedia *Therefore, the Library notices humanity sometime between 40,000 and 30,000 BC. *Discovering humans are infested with demons, the Library dispatches apotropaic sphinxes to destroy the demons. No mercy is required toward the afflicted humans. 30,000-28,000 Homo neanderthalensis, an illiterate species, goes extinct. (Remnants may survive as late as 22,000 BC.) 28,000-10,500 *Lanthis civilizes the world under a matriarchy. *Jin is born to Mayahuel, a Lanthian scientist/magician. *Jin exhibits visions and/or mental displacement in time, which at some point involves demon infestation. *Mayahuel builds the Calendar Machine to tap into the power of the Milky Way's rotation in order to stabilize Jin's mind. When it begins functioning, everyone in the room with it becomes immortal (but not invulnerable). This includes Mayahuel, Jin and Kukulcan. *Lanthian matriarchy overthrown in a religious war and replaced with patriarchy. *Bud, a Lanthian girl of Mediterranean descent, and Brandi, of African descent, are captured by priests in order to build the Chimera. Jin attempts to free them, but is caught, and attempts to kill herself before the three are immolated. 10,500 The Chimera is created. It slips the control of its makers, and burns Lanthian civilization to the ground. The Chimera alters the tilt of the Earth's axis. *The Great Sphinx of Giza is built as a warning and a reminder of the lost civilization of Lanthis. *Centuries after Bud, Brandi and Jin are murdered, Mayahuel creates Tepoz, her first golem. He is small, immortal, but not very invincible. *Mayahuel leaves instructions for herself to be transformed into a golem. She is so transformed, but the method is now in the hands of others. *The Chimera is separated into three separate entities, the Golem Girls, who bear outward resemblance to and the suppressed memories of the girls who were sacrificed to create it. Tepoz is assigned as their Keeper. 8th Century? Nudge meets Oedipus of Thebes in the Library, and gives him a book to throw at Phix, who is guarding Thebes against humans carrying demons for one single day. Oedipus throws this book, containing Nudge's sentence of exile, at Phix, destroying it. Nudge escapes the Library, Phix is condemned to take her place there, and Oedipus embellishes his story. c. 700 Earliest surviving written mention of Oedipus in Hesiod's ''Works and Days, as a king in a struggle against his two sons.'' 6th Century The Iliad is compiled around this time, with the earliest surviving written mention of the Chimera: "a thing of immortal make, not human, lion-fronted and snake behind, a goat in the middle, and snorting out the breath of the terrible flame of bright fire". - Wikipedia, "Chimera (mythology)" 360 Plato's dialogues ''Timaeus and Critias are the earliest that describe Atlantis; Plato insists this knowledge comes from the Egyptians.'' 'CE' 562 Wak Chan K’awiil, King "Double Bird", was defeated and sacrificed when Tikal’s neighbors overthrew him. *Mayahuel attempts to alter the Calendar Machine. She enters the Demon World. Approximate date to which the Calendar Machine resets the spacetime of the Milky Way, 56 times. Before this date are events which are identical to all 57 iterations of Earth history, as they only occured once. Following this date are listed events for the 57th iteration of Earth, in which the comic is set. For chronology of the other 56 "reset" Earths, see Time Loop Chronology. 1362 Norsemen may have explored Minnesota. 17th-18th Century The westward migrating Ojibwe name the Wapsipinicon River, Waabizipinikaan-ziibi ("river abundant in swan-potatoes"). 1858 May 11 Minnesota admitted into the United States as the 32nd state. 1941-1945 Monica's paternal grandfather serves in the European Theater of World War II as a motorcycle driver. 1945 The U-296 retrieves the Lanthian Relic from Ireland. En route toward the Caribbean, a fight breaks out on board, and after the captain shoots the last of his crew, he turns the gun on himself. The submarine sinks in the Bermuda Triangle with the Relic. *Monica's paternal grandfather discovers the location of the Calendar Machine with his lover Jin, the "Golden-eyed Woman", and later records his adventures on reel-to-reel tapes. *Monica learns Glyph from what she believes is her grandmother. Her grandmother is dead; her actual teacher is Mayahuel, speaking to her from the Demon World. *Shelly becomes hypnotized by one of her mother's chotskis for an entire day. 1990s *Shelly's mother is killed in a traffic accident. In grief, Shelly wanders into the Minnesota wilderness on a vision quest. Nudge, in the guise of Coyote, causes her to become lost. She goes into hypovolaemic shock, crushing her demons into a single entity, Creepy Little Girl, who subsequently manifests as her Conscience. She is found in this condition byJin, in the guise of Tochtli, the Aztec rabbit spirit associated with Tepoztecatl. *A traffic collision in Mexico City nearly kills Monica, and does kill Tina. Since Tina's demons are directly responsible causing Monica physical harm, it is possible that time stands still because of this forbidden act. If so, it is unknown how time resumes moving. *In any case, Tina's demons are cursed with amnesia, and are trapped in Tina's body. Nudge joins them in the local morgue, and reanimates the body without the expired Tina. *Monica committed. *Monica gets Dietzel as a puppy. He is hit by a june bug while hanging his head out of a moving car's window. ... (The "present" of Wapsi Square begins.) 2002 August 20 Pretty In Pink (1986) first released on DVD. *Kevin leaves to photograph wildlife from a duck blind for four months. *The Calendar Machine is thrown into the Demon World. Bud follows it there and crushes it into pebble. Bud returns from the Demon World with the crushed Calendar Machine and Mayahuel. *Mayahuel and Jin are reunited. *Bud destroys the remains of the Calendar Machine by launching it into the sun. *Two years after Monica is introduced to the Golem Girls, she reveals the existence of the supernatural world to Amanda. *The rogue demons are brought before Phix, who judges them. "They will no longer be a problem". *Kevin returns from his duck blind. *Monica discovers a sand bar in the Bermuda Triangle which is perfect for beach parties. *Stinky delivers the sunken U-236 to Bud at the sandbar. Bud explores it and retrieves the Lanthian Relic, but triggers a booby trap set by the captain, destroying the sub and the sandbar. *Shelly handles the Lanthian Relic and is sent to the Sacred Forest World, which acts as the "flywheel" for the Calendar Machine resets. She lives there as a sphinx for about 81,200 years (on the opposite arrow of time), but is returned to Minneapolis as a mortal human only a moment after she left. {2010 March 4 - Shelly warns Winter its days are numbered, and slips on ice} {2010 November 15 - Monica surprised by snow} {2011 March 11 - Monica struck by snow} 2012 December 21 End of Mayan Long Count.